The IJF signed an agreement with Tajikistan to bring the World Judo Tour to the country

In Abu Dhabi, the President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, signed the agreement with the President of the Tajikistan Judo Federation, Nurullo Loiqov.

It will be four years, at least for now, and four years means a total commitment. Organising such an international tournament requires commitment and seriousness and this is what Tajikistan wishes to demonstrate.

For Marius Vizer, “The event will be an unbeatable opportunity to promote a country and a region that love judo and that treasure top-level athletes. In this sense, the grand prix is an essential safe conduct to make themselves known."

For Mr Loiqov, it is a special occasion because, “We have been waiting for this moment for many years. Judo is the number one sport in my country and we want to bring the best stars there. We have an ancestral sport called gustingiri which has many similarities to judo. We are a people of warriors and judo is our passion.”

President Loiqov took the opportunity to give thanks for the immense support of the Mayor of Dushanbe, Rustami Emomali, “Without whose support we would not be here today. The investment is important and the Dushanbe City Council will bear most of the cost, so it is only fair to pay tribute to our greatest supporters.

Speaking of support, the time has come to mention Ismoili Mahmadzoir, the one who loves his country and contributes for the development of sport. Put like that, it sounds like a calling card, but the reality is the true measure of things. Let's talk about Mr Mahmadzoir.

Over a period of several years Ismoili Mahmadzoir showed himself the best way, providing support and sponsorship for Tajik athletes and developing sports infrastructures, thereby becoming one of the popular most faces of this sphere in Tajikistan. He contributes consistently and invests in the development of sport, not only sponsoring the events but also assisting with the construction of sports facilities in the country. The modern judo club of Hoji Sharif is a great example of this. Judoka from all over Tajikistan are coming to this club for training and parents are happy to bring their children as it is a high quality, well equipped facility in Dushanbe. The athletes of the club already have good results and are bringing medals from each competition they have participated in.

The place in the World Judo Tour calendar that the Dushanbe Grand Prix will occupy remains to be seen. Tajikistan proposes October but at the moment we cannot confirm it. What we do know is that the first edition will take place in 2023 and so on until 2026. Right now we have the most important things: the country, the city, the budget, the ambition to do things well and the unconditional support of authorities and private sponsors. There are different ways to do things, but in this case, there is no better way to start.

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